Embodiments herein relate to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing services based upon identification of service decision makers. More particularly, the embodiments relates to devices, methods and computer-readable media for providing services based upon identification of decision makers and owners associated with communication services.
Wireless cell phone technology offers the convenience of keeping in contact with others at any place and at any time. Cell phones may connect wirelessly with a cell phone network to offer data and communication services. Cell phones often combine communication, digital photography, video game functions, video and audio-video viewing functions, etc. To take advantage of this added functionality, hybrid cell phones that combine short-range (WiFi), high-speed Internet access and cellular service have been marketed to allow users to make connections using a local wireless Internet access point and seamlessly switch over to a cell phone network whenever necessary. Moreover, cellular carriers have spent billions of dollars to upgrade their systems for high-speed data. The upgraded networks offer wide coverage that exceeds WiFi's short range.
The computing power and the functionality now present on mobile devices enables many new services and functions to be provided to communication system customers. In addition, such new services and functions present opportunities for new revenue streams for system carriers. By providing the new services and functions, the carriers are able to develop long-term relationships with both residential and corporate subscribers.
Control of applications, services and networks associated with a communication system can be achieved using a policy architecture. A policy architecture may include a rules engine plus enforcement points in applications and throughout the network. Accordingly, wireless systems are being built upon the promise of delivering new and different types of high-speed multimedia services. In this way, service providers can extend their offerings beyond basic network services to include also value-added services and specialized application services. The service management concept involves the ability to create, supervise, update and remove services on a networking platform so that service providers can deliver the new services adapted to the customer requirements and experiences, meeting the customer demand while fulfilling customer expectations.
For each account, there are one or more persons that may acts as a decision maker (DM). The DM may be an individual purchaser. For example, a father may purchase and be a DM for a service, but the wife and/or one or more of the children may also be DM's. A teenager may be the actual primary user of a service purchased by a parent, and so may be the “owner” or DM for that service. Accordingly, a service provider may interact with multiple users, especially as services become more capable and complex. As the likelihood of more than one DM existing for an account, there is a critical need to be able to identify DM's for a service, to determine how those persons are DM's, and to be able to make good decisions of many kinds based on that determination, e.g. to interact with the right persons in any given situation.
It is respect to these and other considerations that the embodiments described herein have been made.